San Joaquin County Biographies


This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm



EDWARD H. RILEY
 
        The thoroughness, industry and business judgment employed by Edward H. 
Riley in his building operations have been the means of winning for him a 
prominent place in business circles of Stockton, and he is doing a general 
contracting business, independently, with offices in the Wilhoit Building and is 
contributing his full share to the building up of his native city, where he was 
born on October 27, 1885. His father, Edward H. Riley, a native of Ireland, came 
to the San Joaquin Valley in early days and engaged in farming and ran a dairy. 
His mother before her marriage, was Miss Anna Fox, she too being a native of 
Ireland. Both parents are now deceased.
        Edward H., Jr., was educated in the Brothers School in Stockton and 
after finishing there learned the carpenter's trade with Robert Powell. Arriving 
in San Francisco early in April, 1906, the disastrous fire afforded him the 
opportunity of taking an active part in the rebuilding of the stricken city. His 
first employment was with the Western Pacific Railroad in the construction of 
their buildings at the San Francisco terminal and across the Bay at the Oakland 
terminal, at the time this railroad was being built into Oakland and San 
Francisco. Following this for a period of three years he was with Richard 
Keating, the concrete contractor, and while in this connection was foreman of 
construction on the concrete reservoir on the top of Twin Peaks. He was later 
with two other prominent contractors, H. L. Peterson and W. W. Anderson.
        During 1914 he returned to Stockton and was, for a time, with James 
Mulcahy in the construction of a number of fine buildings. He then started in 
business for himself and erected many buildings of all kinds among the most 
outstanding being St. Agnes' Academy; Hansel & Ortman garage; the concrete 
bridge on Sutter Street across Mormon Slough; St. Joseph's Hospital; St. 
Gertrude's Catholic Church and Parish House in Fair Oaks; Clark's garage on 
South Sutter Street; the T. & D. Theatre Building; the Murphy garage on the 
corner of North El Dorado Street and Miner Avenue; Naylor's Ford garage and 
sales building on North El Dorado Street; the Williams block and Wilhoit 
building on South San Joaquin Street; and the Bennett apartments, the first 
constructed in Stockton. All of these buildings are among the very best and most 
modern in the city. During 1918, a partnership was formed with Jesse F. 
Shepherd, under the firm name of Shepherd & Riley, and the following buildings 
are silent witnesses of their ability and capableness: a theater building in 
Pittsburg, Contra Costa County, costing $60,000; warehouse in Stockton for the 
Sperry Flour Company amounting to the same figure; a $56,000 warehouse for the 
Stockton Packing and Canning Company; $40,000 job for the California Packing 
Corporation; $25,000 store building for Eaton & Buckley; garage for Root 
brothers costing about $26,000. They also constructed the Fair Oaks, the 
McKinley, the El Dorado and the Roosevelt school houses; the high school 
auditorium and the gymnasium and showers. These buildings are the last word in 
modern school buildings in this part of the state. They also built a school at 
Atlanta and one at Salida, Stanislaus County. In April, 1923, the partnership of 
Riley & Shepherd was dissolved, Mr. Riley continuing the contracting business on 
an independent basis.
        The marriage of Mr. Riley, in 1908, united him with Miss Mary Killian, a 
native of Stockton and member of a pioneer family of the county. They are the 
parents of two children, Ethel M. and Hazel L., both born in San Francisco. 
Fraternally, Mr. Riley is a member of Stockton Lodge No. 218, B. P. O. E.; 
Knights of Columbus; and Stockton Parlor No. 7, N. S. G. W. He is a member of 
the board of directors of the Stockton Builders' Exchange; also of the board of 
the Merchants, Manufacturers and Employers Association. All in all he has always 
found time to do his part to aid any worthy project that had for its aim the 
upbuilding of the city, county and state.
 
History of San Joaquin County, California � Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 
1923
p   1240       
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.